Vinsott

Thanks for the info. Most appreciated.

Looks like a twin to the walleye I caught not too long ago. Beauty. I have not had any luck netting shad yet with my new cast net. Are they good size shad you are netting? I have thrown about 15-20 times on schools that were down about 20ft and see the net on the sonar going through the bait but nothing to show. I bought 5/8 inch mesh with 1.5 lbs of lead per foot to get it to sink faster. Its an 8 ft. net. Maybe the bait I have thrown into are very small shad that are swimming through it????? I need to find some bait schools in shallower water perhaps.

We tried yesterday and zeroed on the stripers also. I did however catch a shad with all three points of the treble hook in the inside of mouth with a white jigging spoon. It was probably a 10-11" gizzard. Didn't know if it was luck, but it sure looked like it ate the spoon. And it had the snotty, gooky, slime that was hard to get off my hands. Maybe one of those other species that look like shad?????. No pics, but we trolled it and had something play with it, grab it and spit it. At least I'm still not skunked, even if it was just a shad or something.

And to all a good night.

Didn't weigh it. It was a touch over 25"

Me and my wife started late about 10am throwing swim baits. After nothing for about 1.5 hours started trolling. After 2 hours had a walleye fall off about half way in around the islands. Saw bait and arches all 20-40 ft down. Went to PC trolled and then back to swim bait, still nothing after another 2 hours. My goal is to never get skunked even if it is a bluegill. Wasn't happening. Headed back in and stopped and threw the swimbait some more with the sun already set. Wife was freezing, dog was shivering both were bitching. I was about to give it up and felt a tap. Set hook and proceeded to pull in on something that felt like a stick. Right at the boat I realized it was a fish because it actually started moving. A small walleye. I got it in the boat, unhooked it, released it, and felt the stress just go away. But of course I couldn't just go in with fish hitting. Wife and dog now cuttled together getting aggravated and unruley. Another cast........ nothing, and another cast............ nothing. Why must I push my luck???? I caught my fish, time to go in. Another cast........ BANG!!!!!!!! A good hit, and set, and reel. Another small walleye just coming in. Wait, it's starting to feel a bit better, honey can you get up and get the net just in case? Only 6 pound line and it might be a keeper.

gonna try with wife tomorrow also. I don't have the cast net I ordered yet so I probably will just use lures. Hope to see you out there. Good job with those fish by the way.

Beautiful fish. That had to be fun.

Good job Dan. Have been off the water for my son's wedding out of town. Will try to get out again soon. I am a total novice at this striper fishing but the lake caught shad to me seems to be the ticket. I just need to get a better cast net so I'm not so tired after throwing the net for an hour and getting lucky eventually with some shad in the net.

Spooning for whites sounds more fun than trolling. I am gonna try it again tomorrow. Silver or gold colored spoon? Dan maybe I'll see you out there. I have a tritoon with no top. I have eaten enough fish for a while, just ready for some catch and release.

Will try the bake or grill cooking with the next striper. I don't think these guys would have eaten fish if it wasn't fried. Most of them have never even heard of asparagus and call vegetables "iceburg lettuce" on their hamburger. They all seemed to have a good time tonight, and all want to get up early and go on the boat to catch some more Striper. Don't think they will have the same spirit in the morning when the headache kicks in. At least the vomit stayed outside of the truck.

My son and his buddy's came into town last night for a bachelor party weekend. We just fried up the striper with hushpuppies, fries and slaw. Once it was cooked all the fish was devoured in less then five minutes. They eat like animals. Most are country boys that have only had catfish before and very much enjoyed the fish. It was a little chewy compared to walleye but not fishy at all. I would most surely eat one again.

Prairie Creek

I was on Norris lake in Tenn.

I didn't weigh it but i guess that to be about right. When cleaning it I noticed egg sacs in her. And was surprised because there was bait all around the area and this fish didn't have a thing in its belly???? I didn't want to waste anything so I cut out the cheek meat also. And as I have heard many times I cut all the red meat out.

Finally scored my first keeper striper on Beaver. Well first keeper striper ever. Caught her on a 5 inch gizzard. 31.5 inches. Not a giant, but made my month. Also caught a smaller 23" striper and let it go. I kept the bigger one to see how it tastes. Photo was taken for me on the water courtesy of Scott Bice. Thanks Scott.

My neighbor just harvested a buck today and it was full of ticks.

I've been marking the same arches. I have tried weighting ahead of flickers to get it in the zone. Also have drifted and tried jigging spoons , drop shots, and Ned rigs down to them and have never yet caught anything. I keep telling my wife the sonar is lying to me. I can see my lures while drifting going right down to them but never even get a nibble. I just keep telling her its gar and carp, but some of the arches sure look big and fat???????????????? Eventually I will get a keeper striper. I talked to a fisherman who said that the stripers were already way south of the 12 bridge, and catching them on top. Others tell me to just be patient and they will be here, the water needs to cool more? I just don't seem to have the patience and keep thinking I already missed the run.

"Trolled flickr's around Prairie this afternoon. Caught and released a 17" large mouth in the no wake zone on a #7 in sunset. Started marking bait and fish toward the back along the docks. Had on one 6cm blue tiger and caught a keeper crappie about 12" Caught some small spots on the size 6 again so switched other 2 rods to firetiger 6 (which I haven't caught anything on yet) and a black and silver size 6. Caught a 14" crappie on the firetiger. Had a double hook up with a nice white on the black and silver and another 17" large mouth on the blue tiger. Ended catching about 10 spots, 2 large mouth, 2 white bass and 3 keeper crappie. They all wanted the smaller lure today except for the first bass. Was a beautiful day on the lake and fairly quiet boat wise. Wife forgot her phone for pics. My flip phone pics just don't get it so I didn't bother.

So far that's the size that I have caught in my month of learning the lake. Maybe soon for me too? I did mark some schooling fish around the islands by 12 bridge, possibly stripers or hybrids in about 40-50 ft. I trolled around them and tried a jigging spoon drifting through the area and caught a small spot. By the evening the schools of smaller baitfish were at the surface in small balls all over, but didn't see anything eating them. Then the evening tournament guys must have been out because it got real busy fast with boats coming to fish within 100ft of me so it was time to give it up. Only ended up with small spots, one nice spot around 15" on a ned rig and one 11" crappie that was on the ned also.

Well we started after 11am and just trolled around. It got pretty warm so at one point I cooled off in the lake. I am getting more familiar with my new Lowrance toy but not sure if it is helping me catch any fish. We caught a few small mixed species bass, one 14" spot and low and behold my first keeper walleye of 19". We ate the one bass and the walleye for dinner and my wife liked the bass better?????????????????? Not me but to each their own. Like the other day most fish were caught on the black and silver flicker 7cm.

Me and the wife are gonna try. Trying to catch anything. Will be around the islands and prairie creek in a pontoon.

Got off work and wanted to play with my new HDS 7 gen 2. Trolled around the islands by 12 bridge from 6:30 pm till dark with flicker 7's. Had a purple tiger, black and silver and a black gold sunset. The only hits were on the black and silver. Caught a small smallmouth, 2 short walleye, and a 12" Kentucky. The main reason was for the new toy. It is neat, but it showed fish all over, and made me think about what actually is in the lake compared to what I am catching. The down and side scan is neat for finding structure. Hoping to get out again on Tuesday and map some bottom, and maybe bring home a walleye for dinner.(yeah right!!!)

Well I tried going to the same spot today and tried a couple of old worms. No bites. I switched back to the KVD worm and immediately got nibbles that felt like blue gill but caught nothing. But it did seem to matter at least to the nibblers.